ENDANGERED SPECIES -- A federal judge in Tacoma has rejected plans to increase the killing of wolves in Washington state by a federal agency, the Associated Press reports. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan last week ruled that the Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services should...
OUTDOORS -- Winter solstice occurs at 8:49 p.m. Pacific Time today, Dec. 21, 2015. It's the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The weather is agreeing with the universe this time around, in case you haven't noticed. Here on the 49th parallel, winter…
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- Low fuel prices and a favorable exchange rate make an outdoor adventure in Canada especially attractive this season. Gas hasn't been this cheap since 2009 and U.S. currency packs a punch at only 71 cents to match a Canadian dollar. "The Canadian...
WINTERSPORTS -- Kootenai County Snow Groomers and Sheriff’s Office Backcountry deputies have announced they will be installing barricades at National Forest trailheads today so trail grooming can begin tomorrow, Dec. 22. Following are details from the Kootenai County Sheriff's office: Once the barricades are in…
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- Getting to where you want to go outdoors this winter and into spring and summer could be difficult in some areas where roads were damaged by rain-on-snow flooding events earlier this month. Idaho Panhandle National Forests have joined Okanogan-Wenatchee national forests in...
OFF-ROADING -- This is one way to get a county official to put in some quality time at county facilities. Wonder if it will help him learn respect for federal public lands? Utah county commissioner gets 10 days in jail for illegal ATV ride San…
WILDLIFE -- Scabies, hoof-rot, wolves -- and now another threat to the dream of bountiful elk herds. Wyoming wildlife officials suspect toxic lichen sickened elk After three sick elk were found and euthanized near Rawlins, Wyoming Fish and Game officials are asking the public to...
WINTERSPORTS -- A program on basic avalanche awareness for backcountry skiers and snowshoers will be presented Monday, 7 p.m., at Mountain Gear Corporate Headquarters, 6021 N. Mansfield in Spokane (map). Kevin Davis with the Idaho Avalanche Center will offer tips to help wintergoers identify and…
WINTERSPORTS -- The snow-cat groomer will be setting tracks tonight for the first time this season on the cross-country ski trails at Mount Spokane State Park. "We just finished our second go-round of clearing trees off the trails from the second wind storm," Steve Christensen,...
OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY -- A photo by Spokane pastor/photographer Craig Goodwin has been named the Reader Photo of the Year -- by the Seattle Times. Goodwin, 46, has treated readers of The Spokesman-Review with stunning images ranging from underwater kokanee spawning action to the Milky Way...
HUNTING -- I'll be tagging along behind the nose of a good bird dog. Good luck!
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- From the "What didn't happen in Washington, D.C.," file: Wolf rider doesn't make it into federal spending bill A measure that would have removed federal protection for wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Wyoming, and return management of the species to those...
YOUTH OUTDOORS -- Washington has begun accepting applications for the No Child Left Inside Program, which is being reactivated this year to provide outdoor experiences for at-risk children. The Washington State Legislature funded the grant program starting in 2008, but funding dried up during the...
WILDERNESS -- A proposed silver and copper mine beneath northwestern Montana’s Cabinet Mountains Wilderness cleared a significant hurdle Tuesday with the completion of an environmental study in the works for the past decade, according to an Associated Press report. A final decision on the Montanore...
WINTERSPORTS -- Fat bikes rule at Pearrygin Lake State Park, Washington's newest Sno-Park destination for non-motorized winter recreation. For two years, Methow Valley winter biking enthusiasts have been grooming single-track trails in and near the park that are ideal for snowshoeing or riding the balloon-tired...
OUTDOOR RECREATION -- A federal fund critical to conservation and recreation in Washington state has been reauthorized by Congress for three years. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, our nation’s premiere fund for protecting parks, trails, working forests and waterways, expired for the first time…
WINTERSPORTS -- This photo from Mount Spokane suggests that the prayers of skiers and snowboarders are being answered. Last night's snowfall left a perfect winter wonderland for groomers to work their magic at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park and other resorts in the region....
HIKING -- Today's sunshine over a few inches of new unblemished snow was the perfect opportunity for a hike, except for the miserable masses who had to go to the office.
HIKING -- Holly Weiler chose to enjoy the spectacle of Wednesday morning's new snow on 5,883-foot Mount Spokane (and the rest of the region) from a distance. She went hiking around Antoine Peak Conservation Area instead. The 1,076-acre preserve towers towers to elevation 3,373 feet...
FISHING -- All 2.4 million fall chinook salmon fry at the Fallert Creek Hatchery on the lower Kalama River were lost when floodwaters inundated the facility last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday. This is the first report on fisheries loses…
REFUGES -- The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to rename Nisqually Wildlife Refuge for the late Indian fishing activist Billy Frank Jr. U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, a Washington Democrat and longtime friend of Frank, proposed the idea, which was cosponsored by the entire Washington state...
HIKING -- The advance reservation system for backcountry camping in Glacier National Park is being upgraded and changed for 2016. The new online application and payment system will replace the advance reservation lottery system that has been in place since 2003. The new system will…
HUNTING -- Washington and Idaho hunters can be lulled to sleep by the lack of news about a significant big-game disease that's faded from the region's headlines in recent years. But not too far away... Chronic Wasting Disease is killing about 19 percent of a...
WINTER TRAVEL -- Winter travel into Yellowstone National Park opened today thanks to recent snow storms that have layered enough snow on roads to unleash the snow coaches. Winter transportation gives outdoors lovers access to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and wildlife watching in areas such as…
FISHING -- Montana is trying to fight back against "bucket biologists" who've been raising havoc with fisheries for years. Most recently, Montana has order anglers to turn in walleye caught in Swan Lake and River, according to the Flathead Beacon. After discovering illegally introduced walleye...
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
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